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EliteMacx86

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Supermicro X11SPA-T
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Intel Xeon W-3275 28 Core
Graphics
2xAMD RX 580 8GB
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13.x
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  1. OpenCore (UEFI)
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  1. Mac mini
  2. MacBook Pro
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How to Enable Antelope, PreSonus, Slate Digital, Focusrite and Apogee Audio Interface on macOS
An EliteMacx86 Exclusive Guide - This guide covers the implementation of Antelope, PreSonus, Slate Digital, Focusrite and Apogee Audio Interface on macOS for Thunderbolt compatible systems.

Overview


Recently, we announced that we introduced a solution for these non-working interfaces and a few other Thunderbolt devices on systems with macOS installed. And, we're very happy to announce a public release for this solution to all the users out there who can try and report the bugs for further development for this project.

For more information on the exact issue and compatibility, refer to the thread linked below.

Requirements


The requirements for having this solution are pretty much the same as Thunderbolt. A few additional requirements have been outlined below.

HardwareCompatibility
CPUVT-d Compatible
Motherboard/chipsetVT-d Compatible
ThunderboltTB2 and Later
Real Macs2012 and Later

The very first step is to verify whether you have a supported CPU and Motherboard or not. To confirm the availability of VT-d, follow the steps below.

Visit the link below and select your processor variant.

Under Advanced Technology, make sure your processor supports "Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)"


Enabling Audio Support for Interface
The next step is to enable Audio for these interfaces. To enable Audio Support, follow the steps below.

STEP 1: Enable Thunderbolt
The very first step is to enable Thunderbolt support for your system. To enable Thunderbolt, follow the steps below.

1. On your target machine, boot the system into BIOS.
2. Under BIOS, find Thunderbolt Settings.
3. Set Thunderbolt to Enabled.
4. Set Security Level to No Security.
5. Restart your system and boot into macOS.

For more information on Thunderbolt Settings, refer to the guide linked below.

For more information on Thunderbolt HotPlug, refer to the guide linked below.

STEP 2: Enable VT-d
The very first step is to enable VT-d support for your system. To enable VT-d, follow the guide linked below.

STEP 3: Fix DMAR Table
The next step is to fix the DMAR Table of your system. Normally, the Antelope interfaces should work after following steps 1, 2, and step 3. However, for the systems running Big Sur and later, there is a drawback that is already stated in the OpenCore documentation.

From OpenCore manual, disableiomapper section :
Note 2: Misconfigured IOMMU in the firmware may result in broken devices such as Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapters. For instance, an Ethernet adapter may cycle in link-up link-down state infinitely and a Wi-Fi adapter may fail to discover networks. Gigabyte is one of the most common OEMs with these issues.


Such issues were seen on systems running Big Sur and Later. To overcome this issue, a user @yosoyoco came up with a fix and the idea was to fix the DMAR Table by removing the reserved memory regions from the original OEM DMAR Table, and then further dropping the OEM DMAR Table, and using the fixed DMAR Table.

This fix is required for the systems running Big Sur and Later. Although, few users have reported it on Catalina and prior too. If you have the above systems, you should implement the DMAR Fixing. To fix the DMAR Table, follow the guide linked below

STEP 5: Set Up Drivers for your Audio Interface
The next step is to set up drivers for your Audio Interface. To set up the drivers, follow the steps below.

1. Remove the preinstalled launchers and drivers.
2. Visit your Interface manufacturer's website and download the appropriate drivers for your Audio Interface.
3. Install the required drivers for your Audio Interface.

STEP 6: Set up Audio Interface
The next step is to set up Audio Interface. To set up your Audio Interface, follow the steps below.

1. Reset your Audio Interface twice.
2. Shut down your Audio Interface.
3. Connect it to your System.
4. Restart the System.

Now the installation is complete!

Enjoy your Audio Interface on your system :)

NOTES:
  • For some manufacturers, you may need to signup for an account to access the downloads.
  • For some Audio interfaces, you need to download Launcher and Drivers. In case, if the Launcher has an option to install the drivers, just download the launcher.
  • For Big Sur and Later, you may need to allow the loading of drivers from System Preferences>Security & Privacy.
  • Use the latest drivers for your Audio Interface.
  • A proper Thunderbolt Hotplug is required for better functionality.

Project Status, Bugs, and Further Development


As stated previously, we were supposed to bring the solution to the public and with the release of this solution, there are a few bugs that have been outlined below.

Bug #1
With some motherboards, when enabling VT-d, the entire Network feature is disabled such as Ethernet and WiFi. However, this issue is only limited to Big Sur. A current workaround is to use Catalina or any USB-based WiFi/Ethernet Adapter. Another issue is on some motherboards, the USB ports are broken. We're still testing the project under several environments and hoping to make it more reliable for the users.

Solution: Implement DMAR Table.
Status: Resolved

Unresolved
The old Unsupported Macs, i.e Macs from 2011 and below, which does not feature VT-d, are still not supported by this solution, and the only workaround as of now is to use macOS Sierra and the same is applicable for other machines which do not supports VT-d function.

AMD CPUs are still not supported by this solution and to overcome this issue, the second workaround is what works as of now.

Contribution
If you can consider a contribution towards the forum for bringing this solution to you, a donation is more than welcome to support this project and help developers to keep the development in progress.

Regards,
EliteMacx86
 
Last edited:
Does this method need to flash the custom firmware on the Thunderbolt card first?
 
Does this method need to flash the custom firmware on the Thunderbolt card first?
No, that's only needed for special features.
 
Hello, i'm having problems enabling vt-d, my hackintosh boots up but and everything seems normal except all the usb ports don't work, this only after i enable vt-d. Is this an issue that can be fixed easily?

Thanks
 
Hello, i'm having problems enabling vt-d, my hackintosh boots up but and everything seems normal except all the usb ports don't work, this only after i enable vt-d. Is this an issue that can be fixed easily?

Thanks
This is a bug which still needs to be fixed. Create a separate thread to debug the issue and track your progress.
 
[With some motherboards, when enabling VT-d, the entire Network feature is disabled such as Ethernet and WiFi. However, this issue is only limited to Big Sur. A current workaround is to use Catalina or any USB based WiFi/Ethernet Adapter.]. ----- 8G 16G 24G memory everything is normal. ----The entire network function of 32G memory is disabled. Ask for help
 
[With some motherboards, when enabling VT-d, the entire Network feature is disabled such as Ethernet and WiFi. However, this issue is only limited to Big Sur. A current workaround is to use Catalina or any USB based WiFi/Ethernet Adapter.]. ----- 8G 16G 24G memory everything is normal. ----The entire network function of 32G memory is disabled. Ask for help
With Catalina, there is no such issue. What macOS version are you using?
 
Gigabyte GC-Titan Ridge v2.0 cannot run on win10 after flashing the firmware. After flashing the firmware, it can run normally on the mac
 

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